CHAPTER FIVE | THE RECKONING
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KLAUS KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG, THAT MUCH WAS CLEAR. In a bid to try and work out what Klara and Stefan had been so desperate to keep hidden, they ventured back to their home town—Mystic Falls. Klara groaned lowly as she picked herself up from the floor of the truck. Stefan was still unconscious as she gazed over at him, only to hear Rebekah's sadistic chuckle. "What's so funny?"
"The lengths you two have gone to in order to keep my brother from killing everyone you love." Rebekah tilted her head. She was now a far cry from her friendly demeanor when they were in Chicago. "Must be important."
"Where's Klaus?" The blonde looked around anxiously just as a groan escaped her Stefan's lips. He jolted upright and immediately noticed Rebekah stood just outside the truck. Stefan looked around, bewildered. "What happened?"
"You both took a beating. My brother's been breaking your necks all afternoon." Rebekah folded her arms across her chest as if she took pleasure in explaining what had happened to them. "Quite the temper."
Klara tilted her head while Stefan tried to get up to his feet. "But, I don't understand. Why are we back in Mystic Falls?"
"You can both stop playing dumb now." Both vampires looked at each other anxiously. "It didn't take him long to figure out what you've been hiding."
"We're not hiding anything. We've done everything Klaus has asked us to."
"No. You both just failed to mention that the doppelganger's still alive." Rebekah revealed with a smirk on her face once both their faces fell.
"You didn't answer my question before. Where is Klaus?" Klara repeated though her voice was a lot harsher than before, now she knew that her friend was in danger.
"With any luck, ripping that cow's bloody head off."
Stefan and Klara both sped straight out of the back of the truck and pinned Rebekah to the ground. "Where is she?"
"You both really care about her, don't you?" Rebekah pushed both of the vampires off of her with ease and then pinned Stefan to the door of the truck. She grabbed a crowbar and whacked him across the face with it until Klara grabbed her by the hair and threw her away from Stefan.
"Leave him alone, Rebekah," Klara growled with her vampire face showing, her fangs were prominent as Rebekah got up to her feet with a chuckle.
The blonde rushed toward Klara and whacked her over the head with the crowbar, then she used it to stab Stefan before she headed straight inside the school.
"Klara. Hey, Klara. Come on, wake up!" Stefan's voice called out as he tapped the unconscious blonde's cheek. Eventually, her eyes fluttered open. "Klaus—he's got Elena. I need to get in there.
"You're not doing this alone. No way." Klara shook her head, straightened herself up, and lifted herself from the ground. She knew that Stefan would do anything to save Elena, but Klara would do anything to save him. They walked together toward the fire exit of the gym, where the heard Klaus's voice. Stefan entered cautiously first then Klara followed behind him while Elena moved up to her feet in amazement.
"Klaus," Stefan called out to the Hybrid.
"Come to save your damsel, mate?" Klaus asked in a calm tone, which caused Klara's heartbeat to increase. Usually, when Klaus's voice was calm, the damage was already done.
"We're here to ask for your forgiveness, actually," Klara spoke almost as if words were true. She would rather that than have something happen to the people she cared about. "And pledge our loyalty to you, Klaus."
"Well, you both broke that pledge once already."
"Elena means nothing to me anymore." Stefan stepped forward, his words sounded so convincing that even Elena gasped in shock.
Klara didn't bother to even look at Elena, she just kept her eyes fixed on Klaus. She wanted to make it look real—it had to look real. "Stefan and I will do whatever you want us to do."
"Fair enough." A twinkle appeared in Klaus' eyes as he rose from the bleachers and walked toward two compelled students. "Let's drink on it. Kill them!" Stefan and Klara both remained still as they stared at the humans who backed away in fear. "What are you waiting for? Kill them."
"No. Stefan, Klara, don't. He's not gonna hurt me, he already said—" Before Elena could finish, Klaus slapped her and caused her body to fly across the gymnasium. Upon seeing him harm Elena, Stefan sped straight for Klaus ready to attack by Klaus threw his grip off of him with ease, and grabbed his throat. "She means nothing to you? Your lies just keep piling up."
"Let her go! I'll do whatever you want. You have my word!" Stefan spoke out breathlessly as Klaus's grip tightened around his neck.
Klaus's eyes moved from Klara, who had moved over toward Elena, to Stefan. "I lived by your word all summer, during which time I never had to resort to this—stop fighting." He ordered as he compelled the Stefan.
"Don't do this. Don't do this."
"I didn't want to. All I wanted was your allegiance. Now I'm going to have to take it." The Hybrid started into Stefan's eyes and began to compel him once more. "You will do exactly as I say when I say it. You will not run. You will not hide. You will simply just obey." Klaus pulled away and set his sights on Klara. "I'd like to think you're smarter than your friend, Klara, and that I need not compel your loyalty." Klara knew that getting herself compelled to do whatever Klaus wanted, was not going to help anyone. She simply stared at the Hybrid and nodded slowly. "Now. Kill them. Both of you."
Their faces transformed into their vampiric state as Stefan sped straight toward Dana, the female that Klaus had compelled while Klara headed toward Chad. She dug her teeth straight into his neck and drank, hearing the screams of both the students rang through her ears.
A thud echoed through the hall when Klara dropped Chad's dead body to the ground, as Klaus stared at her admirably while she licked the blood from her lips. "It's always nice to see a vampire in their true element. The species has become such a broody lot." Klaus spoke while Elena stared at Stefan who dropped Dana's body in front of him.
"No. You did this to them." Elena shook her head, her eyes fixed on the Hybrid who stood beside her with his arms crossed.
"I invited them to the party, love. They're the ones dancing on the table." Klaus chuckled as he moved over to Klara, and brushed the blood from the corner of her lip with his thumb and then sucked it. "Klara knows better than to defy me, now she's seen the fate in which her best friend has yet to suffer thanks to his lies. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"
Before she could response, Rebekah's voice boomed from outside the gymnasium. "Where is it?" She viciously yelled as the door flung open. "Where's my necklace?"
"What're you talking about?"
"She has my necklace," Rebekah stated as she strutted straight toward Klaus and held Caroline's phone in her hand. "Look."
"Well, well. More lies." Klaus growled lightly, a sadistic smile on his face.
"Where is it?"
"I don't have it anymore," Elena responded fearfully.
"You're lying!" Rebekah thrust straight toward Elena's neck and attempted to feed on her while both Stefan and Klara edged forward to throw her off, but Klaus forced her away. "Make her tell me where it is, Nik!"
Klaus turned around and kneeled down toward the doppelganger who held the wound on her neck fearfully. "Where's the necklace, sweetheart? Be honest."
"I'm telling the truth," Elena whispered out. "Katherine stole it."
"Katherine?" Klara repeated with furrowed brows, her eyes then darted to Stefan who looked as confused as she did. "But—"
"Katerina. Of course. Well, that's unfortunate. If we had the necklace it would make things a whole lot easier for your witch, but since we're doing this the hard way, let's put a clock on it, shall we?" Klaus moved toward the timer that overlooked the gym. "Twenty minutes! If Bonnie hasn't found a solution by then, Stefan, I want you to feed again. Only this time, I want you to feed on Elena. You know you want to."
"Klaus! You can't do this!" Klara yelled out as he began to walk away from the three.
"No one leaves. If she tries to run, fracture her spine and if Klara tries to intervene, kill her." Klaus ordered Stefan just before he and Rebekah headed out of the gym.
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Klara knew that considering their current situation, feeding Elena her blood to heal her wound was probably a bad idea. She handed the female some a towel to press against her neck, while Stefan frantically paced at the seconds ticked down.
"Caroline's dad!" Elena gasped in realization. "Guys, he was able to resist the compulsion. I don't know how, but he did it. Maybe it's possible."
"Yeah. Yeah." Stefan sarcastically chuckled out while he nodded his head. "Maybe it's just mind control, right? Maybe it just takes some focus, a couple decades of training. No big deal."
"Stop it," Klara yelled at Stefan. She tilted her head, noticing the distress he was under, but it was no excuse. "She's trying to help."
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one that's compelled to feed on her, Klara!" Stefan shouted back at his best friend with a vicious look in his eyes which soon faded. "I'm sorry. I'm just—"
"—I know." The blonde nodded.
"Stefan, you can control this. When that buzzer goes off, just— just drink from me."
Klara's eyes widened incredulously as she looked at Elena while Stefan turned on his heels to face her. "You don't get it. I can't stop, Elena! I'm a Ripper. A Ripper doesn't stop! I listen to the words that come out of your mouth, and all I hear is the sound of your heart pumping blood through your body. And when that clock ticks down, I'm going to have to feed on you. And you wanna know what's worse? I'm not going to be able to stop."
"You're not going to." The blonde vampire stood up to her feet and moved toward Stefan as their eyes locked. "You're not going to hurt her, I won't let you and you know that I won't."
"Then I'll kill you, Klara." Stefan dryly stated. He looked hopelessly into the girl's eyes. "I'll kill you, and I'll feed on her."
"You won't."
"I don't believe that. You can fight it. You just have to want it bad enough." Elena called out again, causing both vampires to look at her.
"Why? Because I love you."
"Yeah. That's right, Stefan. Because you love me. You'll fight because after everything that we've been through, you owe me that!"
Stefan shook his head. "But I can't help what I am, Elena. The more blood that I get, the more I want. And if I get so much as near yours—you are dead."
"Elena, you need to start running," Klara stated while her eyes flickered from the scoreboard that had seconds left. "I can hold him off, but you need to get out of here."
"But Klaus said that if you interfere—"
"I know what he said, and I don't care." Klara snapped toward Elena and then set her sights back on her best friend. She believed in Stefan more than anyone, he wouldn't hurt her. "Stefan won't kill me, I know he won't."
Nine. Eight. Seven.
"Elena, please. Please, do as she says." Stefan pleaded with his girlfriend fearfully as he watched the timer tick down.
Six. Five. Four.
"Elena. Trust me, there's no other way. You need to go. Now." Klara bluntly stated with her eyes fixed up to the scoreboard, but Elena remained stubborn.
Three. Two. One.
"There is another way. Stefan, it's for you to fight."
Zero. The buzzer echoed throughout the gymnasium and caused fear to rush through their bodies. Stefan dropped down to his knees as he set his sights on the girl he was compelled to drink from once the timer ended. "Stefan. I love you." Elena whispered. But it was clear Stefan was having a hard time fighting the orders that were set for him. "Fight, Stefan. Don't give up."
"I can't hold it." Stefan groaned through a strained voice just as his eyes moved to Klara. "Get her out of here now!"
Klara sped over to the brunette and grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out of the way of Stefan, who lunged straight for her. "Out. Now!" She shouted toward Elena, who began to sprint out of the gym and down the hall.
Stefan gritted his teeth as he tried his best to resist the compulsion. "You, too. You can't stay in here with me. Klara, please! You heard what Klaus—"
"— I don't care," Klara shouted back just as Stefan lunged her at. She managed to dodge out of the way, which caused him to fall against the wall. "I'm not letting you hurt her. It'll haunt you forever. And, I know damn well that you won't hurt me, not after everything we've been through."
Once she gave Stefan once final glance, she sped out of the gymnasium and shut every door as passed. She was desperate to try and keep herself away from Stefan, as well as Stefan away from Elena.
The blonde ran into the cafeteria and looked around, shortly after Stefan ran in and set his sights on her. She turned around with eyes widen just as he grabbed a mop and broke it in half. He aimed the blunt end toward his chest. "I'd rather die than hurt you!" He exclaimed loudly as he plunged the wood inside him, but not far enough to kill himself.
"Now, this is fascinating!" Klaus' voice boomed as he thrust the door open with one hand, Elena in the other. "I've never seen this before. The only thing stronger than your craving for blood is your love for these two women. Why don't you turn it off?"
"Don't you dare," Klara warned coldly. Klaus just stared at her and then set his sights on Stefan.
"Come on. Your humanity is killing you. All the guilt must be exhausting." The Hybrid sat down on one of the lunch tables and smiled. "Turn it off."
"No."
"You're strong. But you're not that strong." Klaus walked toward Stefan and pulled the makeshift stake from his chest with ease. He tossed it to the ground and stepped closer to Stefan. "Turn. It. Off."
With one last final shred of disobedience, Stefan shoved Klaus away from him. "No!"
Klaus simply sped straight toward him and slammed him against the wall to compel him. "Turn it off!" He shouted in the Salvatore's face, while Klara moved over to Elena protectively.
A look fell across Stefan's face and it was a look that Klara had never seen before. It was as if her best friend had completely disappeared and she was looking at a stranger who looked just like him. He turned it off. "Why this hell would you do that?"
"I fixed him, sweetheart." Klaus smiled toward Stefan and walked straight toward Klara and Elena. He grabbed Klara and pinned her against the wall, while he stared at Stefan. "I think a test is in order, don't you? Ripper. Perhaps you'd like a drink from the doppelganger's neck."
"Klaus!" Klara began shoving him and thrashing against his grip to intervene, but she was unable to shake his body from hers. He was far too strong for her. "No, Stefan. Don't!"
As Stefan sped straight toward Elena, a scream left her lips which caused Klara to clamp her eyes shut. She was helpless. Elena was helpless. And after, what felt like a lifetime, Klaus disappeared with a humanity-free Stefan by his side.
"Elena!" Klara rushed straight over to the unconscious female. She bit her wrist and forced some of her blood into Elena's mouth which began to heal the gaping wound on her neck. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
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